Deceived and Deceased
**This story immediately follows "Family Secrets & New Beginnings"**
"You cain't pray a lie."
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
CHAPTER 1
"Houston Investigations." Matt Houston juggled the phone receiver and his three month old daughter Catey Rose along with her diaper bag. It was the Monday morning after the wedding of his secretary, Chris Atwater and the CEO of Houston Industries, Murray Chase. Matt had offered to let the couple use his ranch in Texas for the big event and had just flown back to Los Angeles the night before.
"My name is Charlene Mercer and I would like to speak to Mr. Houston please." The female voice on the other end of the line sounded tired, Matt thought.
"Yes ma'am, you're speaking to him. What can I do for you?" As Matt spoke those words, his daughter decided that her daddy needed help and began making the cooing and gurgling sounds that were her specialty these days. He pulled a small stuffed terry cloth teddy bear out of the diaper bag and handed it to her, causing her to squeal with delight.
"I need some help and I hope it's not too late. My mother and father were murdered three years ago and the killer has never been caught. The police haven't been able to do anything and I just…" she stopped talking and the private investigator could hear the emotion in her voice.
"Alright, when would you like to meet?"
"Would you be able to see me today?" Charlene Mercer now seemed to have a glimmer of hope in her voice.
"I sure can. Would you like to come to the office or can I meet you somewhere?" Matt looked at his watch. CJ was due in to the office any minute. She had received a phone call right before leaving the house and was running just a little late.
"Your office would be fine. I've got a file that contains as many details of the case as I've been able to gather."
"That would be great. What time can I expect you?"
"Would 8:30 be okay?"
"Yes ma'am. I'll be here. Do you need directions?"
"No, a friend pointed out your building to me over the weekend. Thanks so much, Mr. Houston."
"You're welcome." Matt hung up the phone, checked his watch again, and looked at Catey Rose. "We've got a client due here in just a few minutes, Sweet Pea; think you can help Daddy with a case?" He picked her up and headed into the inner office. As he made a pot of coffee, Catey continued to "talk" to him. The two bantered back and forth constantly, something that never failed to make CJ, Matt's wife of sixteen months laugh. He heard the chime of the elevator and he and Catey peeked around the corner to see his wife stepping out.
"Are you two behaving?" She walked in and took Catey and headed for her office.
"Yep, we've even talked to a possible client already. She's supposed to be here at 8:30. Want a cup?" He was pulling a coffee mug out from under the bar for himself.
"That would be great, thanks." CJ put Catey Rose into the playpen in her office and turned on her computer and the printer. In a couple of minutes Matt brought her a steaming cup of coffee. As he set the mug on her desk he turned her chair so that she was facing him. Leaning down with his hands on the arms of the chair, Matt gave his wife a kiss. "Love you, Babe."
"Love you, too. What brought that on?" She was slightly taken aback.
"Nothing. You just looked like you needed a kiss." He grinned and headed back out to the main part of the office and looked at his watch. The elevator chimed again, and out stepped Uncle Roy, followed by his son Will and former LAPD detective Vince Novelli. Vince and his family now ran a very successful Italian restaurant in Hawaii, but he was helping out Roy with installing security systems in a chain of jewelry stores. "Mornin' fellas." Matt walked over to the couch and sat down with the newspaper to wait for Charlene Mercer.
"Working hard I see, Ace. Some things never change, huh?" Vince was only kidding with Matt. They were best friends and loved to torment each other.
"Actually I'm waiting for a new client who should be here just about any minute now." Matt stood as the elevator chimed once more and a pretty brunette walked into the outer office. "Ms. Mercer? Matt Houston, nice to meet you. Would you like to come on back?" He led the way into CJ's office so that she could hear the details of the case as well. "Ms. Charlene Mercer, this is my wife CJ. She'll be helping out with the investigation." Catey Rose picked that moment to let her presence be known as well by gurgling when she recognized her dad's voice. "Oh and this is our daughter, Catey Rose." Matt grinned at the three month old.
"She's adorable! So she helps you out around here?" Charlene Mercer smiled down at the cooing baby.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure you heard her earlier when I answered the phone." Matt chuckled. "Would you like to have a seat?" He offered her a chair in front of CJ's desk. "And I believe you said you had a folder that you wanted us to look at?"
"Yes, here it is." She handed over a manila file folder that contained newspaper clippings from three years earlier.
"I remember hearing about this." Matt began studying the clippings. The Mercers, Kenneth and Joanie, along with their twenty one year old son, Michael, had been found stabbed to death in their home in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. The scene hadn't offered up very many clues and the case had gone cold. "Is there anything that you can add to this?" He looked up at the lady.
"Only that they deserved better. Mom and Dad were really sweet and generous people. If somebody needed help, they were always right there for them." On the verge of tears, Ms. Mercer was handed a tissue by CJ. "Thank you."
"What about your brother?" He looked back through the clippings as she stammered for a few seconds, then he looked back up at her. "It says here that he had a gang affiliation and a couple of drug arrests."
"Yes, he did, but he had changed. After he was in jail the second time he got straightened out. He didn't have anything to do with the gang or drugs."
He nodded. "You're sure about that?"
Charlene Mercer stood up, obviously upset with him. "Yes, Mr. Houston: I'm very sure. If you don't want the case all you have to do is say so." She reached for the folder.
"I didn't say that. All I did was ask an important question. It might very well have something to do with the murder." Matt stood up. "And something else you need to know before I take the case: there may be other questions that I'll have to ask. Questions that may not sit well with you, but if you want me to find out who did this," he shook the folder, "I'll need nothing but honest answers from you."
She put her hand back down. "Okay. But only because I was told that you were the best. My friend insisted that you were. I hope you won't let me down."
"Ms. Mercer, I'll tell you right up front – I can't make guarantees. But I can tell you that I will do everything humanly possible to find out who murdered your family. In order to do that, we need to be honest with each other. Deal?" He held out his hand to her.
She reached over and shook it. "Deal."
CJ, who had been silent throughout the meeting, spoke up. "Ms. Mercer, who recommended my husband to you?"
"Larry Carlisle." Larry was an officer with LAPD that Houston had met not long after he moved to Los Angeles. The last time Matt had seen him had been a few weeks back when his partner had been murdered. Matt had helped to track down the killer.
"Larry happens to be a very good friend of mine, Ms. Mercer." Matt smiled at her. "My wife has some papers for you to sign and I'll need a number where I can contact you."
"Thank you." She sat back down and CJ slid a contract across the desk and began explaining the contents to her as Matt turned and started out the door.
"CJ, I'm going to pay Hoyt a visit and see what he can give me. Be back in a little while. Love you." He headed for the elevator.
"Okay, love you." She went back to Ms. Mercer and the contract.
